"I'm gonna sue!"

It's the battle cry of millions of Americans these days. Any more, it has very little to do with fairness. And it's no longer synonymous with "repair the damage" or "make me whole".

No, this once indignant cry of those legitimately harmed has changed in its meaning. In fact, the change is so profound and so fundamental that I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that we ban the use of "I'm gonna sue" altogether.

I believe we need to replace this statement with something that more closely portrays the meaning behind the words. Something that is more indicative of the true sentiment of the seeming majority of people who utter it. How about:

"Bingo!"
"Cha-ching!"
Or the timeless, "We're in the money!"

Better yet, let's interview a few Lotto winners and find out what phrases they used when they first learned they had hit it big.

So, what does any of this have to do with Christianity?

Unfortunately, almost nothing at all.

We all hear about ludicrous amounts of money being awarded to people over ridiculous suits. The True Stella Awards (TSA) are named after the woman who received a huge sum of money from McDonald's when she spilled hot coffee on her lap. The TSA Web site and eZine do an excellent job of highlighting cases that should be considered frivolous.

The problem, however, is that many people don't get indignant when they read TSA -- they get greedy. Whenever something happens that makes them mad, they think, "I wonder if I can sue over this? I mean, that lady got a million bucks for spilling coffee on her own lap!"

It is not uncommon to find someone who considers himself or herself a devout Christian embroiled in a questionable lawsuit. I wouldn't be surprised if someone reading this editorial falls into that category.

(If your blood pressure is rising and you feel the need to fire off an email to me explaining why your case is different, then your case definitely IS questionable. Plaintiffs in legitimate suits are nodding their heads right now, agreeing with me.)

We cannot be Christians only when we feel like it. Jesus never said to follow him only when it is easy and convenient. We are called to be Christians all the time, in all situations.

The message of the New Testament is one of forgiveness. "An eye for an eye" and that whole retribution thing is Old Testament belief. Suing someone because we think we can get some money out of it is definitely more retribution than forgiveness!

When we clog the courts with thinly veiled attempts at hitting the jackpot, we do society a grave disservice as well. There truly ARE legitimate cases that need to be heard, so we shouldn't waste the time of the courts.

When I sue Big Company Inc. and get a windfall settlement, where do you think the money comes from? When all is said and done, who do you think will pay for my "victory"? Yup. You guessed it. At the end of the day, the consumer must absorb the cost.

Should a Christian ever sue? Well, that's not the question I set out to answer. But perhaps we should think about a few things before we call our attorneys.

Is this response based upon fairness?
Where does forgiveness fit in?
And the ever popular, "what would Jesus do?"

Personally, I'm going to read my bible a bit more. I can't seem to recall in which gospel Jesus pumped his fist and yelled, "Show me the money!"

Peace,
Brandon